I want to put the "updated" '91-'92 Firebird door panels in my '86 Camaro to spruce up the interior a bit. Does it bolt right up? This is the panel I'm referring to:

 

I think the only thing you'll need (aside from the panel of course..) is the armrest bracket that's riveted to the door.

(crappy pic attached)

 

Don't the pre-'91 door panels have that? If not, how hard would it be to make my own armrest bracket?

 

I'm pretty sure all the f-bods have that bracket (just adding my $0.02)

 

If you have a reg. door panel the bracket should be the same--but if you want to put in a deluxe panel(like a GTA)you'll have to change the bracket.
like This:

 

Tonyrodz, only the GTAs came with the "deluxe" panel, and all other F-bodies came with the uglier older style? I thought that all '91-'92 Firebirds came with door panels that look like the one in your picture... the original picture that I posted actually came from a Firebird Formula in Reader's Rides.

 

Hey Blue,the pic from you is from 90-92 and Tony's is from 87-89.I think the 90-92 panals were the same from a base car up to a GTA.The ones in Tony's pic we on some formula's and TA's and I think all GTA's

 

I know those deluxe panels did come on some Formulas-but I'm not sure if they came on all GTA's(probably did tho)I just wanted to mention it tho. My car originally came w/the standard panels, so to put these in I had to mod the install a little-because the brackets weren't large enough.

 

My bird (87) has the 'deluxe' panels and my camaro (84) has the standard panels.. the difference in the 2 brackets between the 2 cars is as follows below.

The screws on a 'deluxe' panel fire straight (horizontally) at the bracket and has 'plug' to hide them in the side of the armrest.
The camaro's screws diagonally up from the underside to the bracket.

 

Since this thread is already about door panels... could someone lend me the trick of removing the door panel without breaking the retaining clips? I need to put my cupholders in but I can't figure out how to get the panel off without breaking all those clips

 

You'd be better off getting the tool for the job. You'll be able to pull the door panel off w/o breaking those tabs. It's no more then $5 from a parts store.

 

Alright... true. What's the tool called? Looks like?

 

Forgot what it's called--but it has a handle like a screw driver--it's bent at a weird angle and has 2 wide-spread apart teeth--make sense?

 

Hmm... alright. Do I slide it in behind the plugs and it'll pull them all out without breaking the clips? Then? And when I'm done just push them all back into their respective brackets and voila?

Oh... armrests and the doorsills (black part at the top of the door). How do those come off?

Thanks for all your help dude.

 

Glad I could help a little.

 

Now offhand I could be mistaken, but I'm fairly sure the arm rests in my '90 GTA have the screws on an angle just like your Camaro. Now you have me wondering if those arm rests from an '84 that I might buy will fit my car at all.

 

One last question before I go ripping off my passenger side door panel... well, two really. Does the door lock/handle just come straight off and then go back on? I don't really want to f that up. And those pockets I have on the door now... they look sewn on, but I've read they're only bolted in. After I take the panel off I just need to figure out how to get that thing off and then take the measurements to punch in the panel to mount the cupholders and I'm home free... thanks again

 

Do you have these?

 

If you have those--there's a blank plate that pulls off in front of the upper door handle-push down and pull it off--you'll see a screw or 2(torx)take those out(been a looong time)I think there's a torx behind the inside door handle. Pull out the lock tab(has orange on it). I remember there being tabs holding the plate to the panel--so be careful. just take your time and be careful w/it.

 

Found a pic of an inner bracket. These had the standard panels on them.

 

Thanks for all the info, guys. I think that with a little fabrication and some help from my friend I could make brackets to fit the Deluxe door panels, regardless of how they're attached.

This post has some really great pics that will help me out. Thanks!

 

can anyone give me an update on if they have successfully done this??

i found some deluxe panels at the boneyard

 

Grab them--they will definitely fit!!

 

but how did you attach them to the door?

a) try and get the arm rest welded to the donor car

or

b) fab some kind of bracket to screw on old part and be able to screw in old thing from new arm rest

or

c) can you just drill a hole STRAIGHT into the smaller bracket on my current car??? somebody mentioned doing this but it seems hard to believe it would work!!


which should i do?!

 

c) can you just drill a hole STRAIGHT into the smaller bracket on my current car??? somebody mentioned doing this but it seems hard to believe it would work!!


which should i do?! [/B][/QUOTE]
that's exactly what I did! I just got a spare set of the longer screws that go into the armrests(uppers I think)drilled some holes and they screwed right in--nice and tight.

 

Just do this mod,


and write a tech article on how you did it. In that pic, the doorpanel is just sitting on the door.

 

That's the panels I have. I need to replace them too. Sucks I can't find them anywhere.

 

i basicly want to do the opposite, i want to turn this

 

into this, except my new one is black leather and teh old one is grey. i need to make my door like the flatter kind becuase thats what type of doorpanel / armrest combo i ended up with.

 

The original picture from a 91-92 firebird is NOT a Deluxe panel. It has the same plastic trim piece as a deluxe panel which makes it look similar, but it is a standard flat panel. Going from a camaro door panel to that will require no modification to the mounting bracket. Only if you change to the Deluxe panels with the arm rest integrated into the panel will you need to change to the other (more squared off) bracket.

 

no the top door uses the bracket that is bolted from the side, and the bottum door uses the bracket where the bolts come up diagonaly. they will not interchange. i guess i will have to try and find the bracket off a junk car or somthing, unless someone here is trying to do the opposite of me and wants to trade

 

any1 on here bidding on that black set of gta door panels on ebay? they are up to $270 now...too rich for me. i put my high bid at $266, can't afford any higher than that.

 

Do you have a picture of those black leather door panels?